Past present and future
by Shipshaper
Summary: One thing can change the entire course of history, something as simple as the amount of pressure of a thumb on a syringe. What if Rachel didn't overdose that night in the dark room, how would the past present and future be changed?


Welcome to Blackhell

Arcadia Bay was much the same as it had been five years earlier. Some new buildings sporting the name "Prescott" had gone up, and some old ones had been torn down, leaving empty spaces memory tried to fill back in. For the most part though it was still small, and silent, and smelled of salt. At least that's what Max could determine from her window seat of the bus that had carried her the long miles from seattle. The other passengers had gotten off at various earlier stops, leaving her alone with the driver and her own thoughts, the latter of which she tried to drown out with the buds tucked into her ears. The last note, of the last song of the playlist she'd made for the trip faded out just as the bus came to a stop. "Good timing." She thought to herself and set the headphones back into one of the pockets of her messenger bag and retrieved her camera from another. She did her best to frame the tear in the fabric of her seat over her left shoulder and took the shot. As she slid the printed photo and camera back into her bag her mind wandered to the photo spreads she'd seen of her soon to be teacher Mark Jefferson and a giddy little thrill ran up her spine. The bus driver was already standing with her over stuffed duffle bag in hand when she finally disembarked. She thanked him for the ride as she stretched her legs for the first time in hours, and took the bag up, slinging it over the shoulder opposite the strap of her other bag. Max was home.

The bus stop was only a short distance from the two whales diner and as she looked up at the glowing neon sign she wondered if Joyce still worked there. That uncertainty sent a surge of shame through her chest that tied her stomach in a knot. "If you could actually have brought yourself to stay in touch maybe you'd actually know." She took a single step towards the diner, then spun on her heel and hurried down the sidewalk. "Coward" she admonished herself and started the short walk to Blackwell, choosing to walk rather than wait for the local bus: She'd seen enough of the inside of one of those for the day. In the half hour it took to get from the shoreline to the front steps of Blackwell Academy she'd bounced between guilt over her avoidance of the Price family and nervousness over the coming year. The result was a growing sense of dread as she got to the front door. Barely registering the missing person's poster stuck to the glass Max pushed her way into the main hallway. The principal's office was easy enough to find, only a few feet from the entrance. She stepped inside to find herself in the small administration area outside of the office proper. Another girl her own age was knelt down in front of one of the low filing cabinets. Max stood there awkwardly for what felt like fifteen minutes watching the brown haired girl sort through the various folders and papers until anxiety well up in her enough to force a "Uhm Hello?" a bit too hurriedly from her lips. The kneeling girl jolted in surprise before she turned to see who had spoken. "Ugh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm. . .my name is. . . Maxine Caufield" She cringed silently at her own use of her own full name, but she pushed forward. "I'm new, I'm supposed to meet principal Wells?" The other girl had risen to her feet small smile on her lips, hazel eyes sparkling.

"Right, Principal Wells was expecting you, he had to step out for a while but he told me if you got here while he was gone I should go ahead and take you to the dorms to get you set up." She closed the filing cabinet she'd been working on with one foot then took a key from the cork board behind the office desk, and motioned for Max to follow her.

"I can make it on my own really" Max insisted "We took a tour of the campus last year, I know my way to the dorms." The other girl turned and smirked cooly.

"Ah yes, but then how would I justify blowing off organizing those file? I'm Rachel by the way, I'm Principal Wells' administrative assistant" Max laughed lightly at the joke and followed Rachel back out into the hall.

"Nice to meet you Rachel" Max said adjusting the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder as they stepped back outside

"Nice to meet you too caufield. . .do you need a hand with that?" Max shook her head even as she struggled to find a more comfortable position. The short walk to the dorms was like a second unofficial tour with Rachel pointing and explaining things a normal guide wouldn't think to, or be expressly forbidden from mentioning.

A small moving van stretched across two parking spaces in the lot outside the dormitories, a pair of burly looking men moved boxes from it, and disappeared into the open service entrance. The movers were seemingly overseen by another girl their age. She stood several inches taller than them, with shortly clipped blonde hair and wore an honest to god string of pearls around her slender throat. She barked one last order at the blue collar pair to be more careful with her things. Max spied camera and lighting cases and her heart sank with the knowledge she'd likely be sharing a classroom with this girl. The blonde girl took notice of them, and donned a smile the way a soldier dons body armor as she approached.

"Rachel it is like so good to see you, looking good as usual. So you going to come party with us again this year?" That insincere smile snapping into a venomous smirk as cold green eyes searched Rachel's face for a reaction.

"I don't think so Victoria I've done a lot of growing up this summer and some how getting wasted with you and Nathan just seems, so. . .last year." Victoria's smirk faltered for just a moment but swiftly returned as she spit back.

"It's good to see you finally lost the dead weight. It really was dragging you down, nice to see you're actually beginning to claw your way back up." Rachel's calm mask shattered and her face flushed red, hate seething behind her eyes. Max saw the way her way her hands had balled into fists and the growing fear on Victoria's face.

"Uhm, I'm starting to get a little tired, and I'd like to get to my dorm." Max broke in. For the first time Victoria turned her attention to Max. That judging gaze swept over her once and Max lamented the sweat pants and torn blue t-shirt she'd opted on for; Both looking all the more raggedy when compared to the designer top and skirt Victoria sported. Rachel too had turned towards her, distracted from her rage at the realization she'd forgotten Max was standing there.

"Oh, right I'm sorry." Rachel said chagrined "Victoria Chase this is M. . ." Victoria rolled her eyes and waved dismissively at both of them as she turned back to the moving van. "Don't care, bye now." Rachel exhaled a heavy sigh through her nose and shook her head.

"Come on Caufield, lets get you set up." Max followed Rachel stormed off towards the front entrance to the dormitories.

"The hell was that all about?" Max asked when she was sure they were out of Victoria's earshot. Rachel pressed the palm of her hand against her forehead and sighed again.

"It's a long, annoying, convoluted story and I'd rather not tell it right now." Max nodded and they went inside. When they reached the girl's floor Rachel gave some half hearted directions to the showers and bathrooms as they made their way to max's room on the far side of the hall. "You got everything you need?" Rachel asked and Max nodded again, hoisting the duffle bag from her shoulder.

"My parents are coming down this weekend to bring my stuff but I've got what I need for now." Rachel rested a hand on Max's shoulder. The touch made her skin tingle and the smile that seemed to shine from her curved lips brought a blush to Max's cheeks.

"Welcome to Blackhell Caufield, it's empty now but the devils are on their way." Rachels eyes danced at the secret joke and dropped the keys she'd taken into Max's hand with a laugh before stalking off back towards her own room.

It was Max's turn to sigh as she entered her new room. It was bare, save for a bed by the door and a desk by the window on the far wall. For the first time since leaving her parents in Seattle Max felt truly and utterly alone. Even the small room seemed cavernous with just her standing in it,she felt sure that if she uttered a sound it would echo back on her, but she said nothing. A sudden flood of sadness and unsurity filled every inch of her. She let her bags thud to the floor as she fell atop the bed, tears already flowing down her cheeks. The rational part of her mind told her that what she was feeling was natural, and that she'd been through this before the first time she spent the night away from home, and when they'd all left for Seattle. Unfortunately knowing what was happening did nothing to slow the tears as they streaked down her face.

Max awoke shivering to a darkened room, the sun gone down and taken the temperature with it. She fumbled for her phone in the pocket of sweat pants. The display showed a missed text from her mother, and that it was now well past midnight. With the phone's flashlight she found the lightswitch, and with the lights on she quickly turned the valve on the old radiator to get the hot water flowing into it; As it creaked into life Max dug in her duffle bag, first to pull a cotton pajama top over her head. She relished the instant change in temperature as she continued to search for the waterproof bag that contained her toiletries.

A few minutes and a pit stop at the bathroom later Max was under the hot water. It had been a long day and the shower was equally effective at washing the stinging salt from her face and the chill in her bones. She was still nervous and unsure of what was to come but the homesickness had subsided for now. Things were beginning to feel stable, to feel real. Once dried and dressed she made her way back out of the showers, thoughts of her now warmed room and the sleeping bag she'd laid out on the bed pulled a satisfying yawn from her. As she brought the cellphone up to light her way the beam settled on the message board on the wall. A copy of the Missing Person poster she had ignored earlier had been pinned there as well. Goosebumps rose along her arms as she let her bag and towel fall. She struggled to keep the light steady as she moved closer to look at the picture of the strawberry blonde girl. She changed in five years, and that let Max hold onto an extra second of denial before she read the name. "Chloe Price: Missing since 5-24-13"


End file.
